The Power Shield Alchemist
by Oathkeeper85
Summary: Ed and Al come to a small town, where they meet a girl with a terrifying past and an amazing power. Rated T for language. I'm sorry if it's not the best writing.
1. Green Eyed Angel

Chapter 1: The Green-eyed Angel

The moon was full and the only sounds were the ones of crickets and the wind blowing in between the leaves on the trees.

The silence was broken by a clanging sound as if someone was carrying a lot of metal to the scrap yard.

The noise came from a large gray suit of armor walking up the path, beside him was his companion.

A boy by the age of 15 with blond hair tied up in a braid and his eyes were of the same color. He wore a red coat with a symbol of a winged snake on a cross and black clothes underneath.

"Nice night huh, Brother?" asked the suit of armor.

"Yeah, it is. I don't think it's going to last long though" said the blond haired boy, pointing towards the sky as large, dark clouds started to roll across the moon.

"We should find a place to stay for the night"

"Brother. Look over there, I can see a town from here"

The blond haired boy looked over to where his brother was pointing and did indeed see a town over the hill.

"How far do you think it is?"

"Probably a mile, mile and a half."

"We should get going or else we'll get wet, Brother"

They started to run towards the town, they're feet splashing in the water and mud that was already appearing in patches on the ground. The rain started to get heavier and heavier as they got closer to their destination. The wind got stronger, making it more difficult for the brothers.

As they were coming up to a turn in the road, the armor seemed to be straining to hear something.

"What's that noise?"

He was starting to lag behind his brother because of the wind, but tried to keep up to him.

As he took a long stride to catch up, he saw something at the corner of his eye. He could see light up ahead, and hoping that it was probably a hiker with a lantern looking to help people lost on the path, but it seemed to be moving to fast for a person.

"Brother! Look out!" he screamed, as the car came around the corner in front of his brother.

The boy gasped as he stared into the headlights as it came tearing around the corner and headed straight for him. At the last minute he turned to move to the side, but as he did, he slipped on some mud and lost his balance, plunging into the darkness below.

His brother had jumped out of the way when the car came towards him. He saw the blond boy move out of the way also.

When the car had passed, he got up and noticed that his brother was no longer there. He ran to the other side of the road and noticed that it just ended, there was no other side of the road!

"Brother! Where are you? Answer me please!" he called, but got no response.

He decided to go down the hill and find his brother. He used the mud to slide carefully down the hill, looking left and right for his brother.

When he reached the bottom, he started calling out again. He called and called until he heard a soft noise coming from a few feet in front of him.

It was still dark and raining, which made it hard for him to see anything so he tiptoed forward to find the noise. As he got closer, he spotted a body lying against a tree.

"Brother!" he screamed as he rushed towards the form of his brother. He was cut all over along with his coat and had bruises on him.

The armor shook his brother, calling his name, but no response came from him.

"Your still breathing, but your unconscious, " he said, as he picked up his brother "the town's not that far I'll take you there and find help."

The armor walked into town half an hour later. He had taken his brother's coat off and wrapped it around him like a blanket to keep him warm and so he didn't bang against anything. He looked around, but saw no one in sight.

'_Where is everyone? Hope I find someone soon to help Brother.'_

"Is anyone there? Please! My Brother needs help! Someone! Anyone!" he cried out. He could see that some of the houses had lights on, but no one came to see where the cries for help came from. He walked along in the mud trying to find someone that would help.

He caught something at the corner of his eye, someone was moving around. The wandering figure stopped moving in front of him and cried out.

"Do you need help? Were you the one that was calling?" The voice was female and didn't sound very old. He couldn't see the figure very clearly, but could tell from the voice alone.

"Yes, that was me. My brother's hurt, he fell down the hill into the woods. Can you help us?"

"I think I can. Bring him to my place. Let's get out of this rain before we all die of pneumonia." He followed the girl to a small, run-down house. Holes were in the walls and the glass on the windows was broken, the wood was also starting to rot away.

The girl moved a long wood board away from the door and opened it.

The inside of the house wasn't very appealing either. The floor was filthy and was littered with garbage and bottles. There was a small bed in the corner of the room, the sheets were torn and worn.

"Put him on the bed over there" she said and the large boy put his brother there. After he set his brother on the bed, he took off his clothes and handed them to the girl.

"Thanks, I'll hang them up here to dry," she went into another area of the house "you can sleep on the couch if you want since there's no room on the bed".

He looked over at the couch; it was covered in stains and was torn at certain places.

"I'm ok, I'll sleep here beside the bed".

The girl came back into the room holding a pillowcase. She knelt down beside the bed and started tearing up the pillowcase.

"Where is he hurt?" she asked.

"Well, his right arm and left leg are fine, but I think everywhere else might need care.

The girl started to wrap up his left arm and head, when the large boy said,

"Thank you very much. My name is Alphonse Elric, but you can call me Al"

The girl giggled and stood up after she was through.

"He should be fine now, but we'll see in the morning. Goodnight Al" she said as she went over to the couch and curled up. Al turned to his brother on the bed.

'Goodnight Brother. Hope you feel better'

Al opened his eyes the next morning and turned to see his brother. He was overcome with joy to see two golden eyes staring back at him.

"Brother! You're ok! How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, still hurts a little though. Where are we?"

"A girl's house. You were almost hit by a car and fell down the hill into the forest. I brought you into town, she spotted me in the rain and here we are".

His brother sat up and looked at his arm.

"What is this on my arm?"

"It's a pillowcase, I think that's all she had to wrap it. How's your head?"

He grumbled and held his head.

"Damn. It hurts the most and I'm starving"

"I'm not surprised Ed, no matter what the occasion, you're always hungry"

"I'm a growing boy, I need to eat."

"Not very fast though" giggled Al

"Hey, I thought you were on my side here Al!"

A door opened up on the side of the room and a voice called out.

"Oh, you're awake. Well, you seem to be ok."

Ed turned around to see who was talking and when he did, his face turned bright red. Standing there was a girl with blond hair; she was very pretty under all the dirt and matted hair. She was wearing a T-shirt that was too big for her, so it hung off of one shoulder, it was dirty and torn; she wore pants that were worn all the way up to her knees, they were also ripped and dirty. Other than the hair, there were two things that Ed noticed that made her stand out from under the dirt.

When she looked at him, she had the greenest eyes that he'd ever seen, they looked like that they were made from real emeralds. The other thing was her smile, the cutest smile, so gentle and kind.

Al was surprised by his brother's reaction to the girl who had saved his life, so he decided to break the silence.

"Um, excuse me Miss, but we haven't been formally introduced. As I said, my name is Al and this is my older brother Ed."

"Hi, pleased to meet you both, my name is Dayna"

Ed, still with a goofy look on his face said to himself,

'_Dayna. What a pretty name for an angel'._


	2. New Friends, Hurtful Truths

Chapter 2: New Friends, Hurtful Truths

Al didn't know what to do with his brother; the way he was acting in front of their host was embarrassing. Every time he tried to talk to Ed, all he got was silly mumbling as if a bee flew into his mouth and stung his tongue.

Dayna looked a little uncomfortable with this as well. For five minutes, no one said a word until something caught her eye.

"What is that on your arm Ed?" she asked and Ed snapped out of la-la land.

"What? Oh this," he replied, lifting up his right arm "it's just automail, my left leg is made out of that too, see".

Ed moved so that he sat on the edge of the bed so that both his right arm and left leg were shown, they shone in the morning light that was streaming from the window.

Danya had another uncomfortable look on her face.

"What's wrong?" asked Al.

"Oh nothing. Listen, I've got to make a stop in town, you guys can have anything you want in the kitchen, if you're hungry. I'll be right back"

Dayna turned and ran out the door. Ed and Al stared at the door and then at each other and shrugged.

"Did she seem nervous for a minute there Brother?"

"Yeah. Maybe the automail startled her. Let's find something to eat," said Ed as he got up and put on a white shirt over his blue boxers.

They headed towards the kitchen and started to look for something to eat. Ed and Al checked all the cupboards and all the drawers and found nothing.

"Where's all the food?" Al asked.

He turned to Ed, who had just opened the beat-up, rusted fridge. Al saw Ed look in and was confused by the cringe that his face had on it.

"What is it?"

"I found some food, but I think I just lost my appetite"

Al looked in the fridge and saw half a tuna salad sandwich in the fridge; it had just started to grow blue-greenish mold.

"EEEEWWWWWWWW!" Gross!" cried Al, picking up the sandwich with a nearby fork and tossing it in the garbage.

Al turned to Ed and saw that he was still looking in the fridge.

"What is it Brother?"

"That's all she had to eat. In this whole house, that was it. Also, some of the bite marks on that sandwich looked recent too. She took us in, even though she had nothing for herself. She gave me her bed and her only blanket; wrapped up my cuts with a pillowcase and offered us something to eat. Why should a person like her live like this? What did she do to end up with this?"

"Brother."

The door opened and Dayna came in the house. She didn't see Ed or Al anywhere, so she figured they must have been in the kitchen.

"Guys, I'm back. I just had to get some water from the stream nearby. Ed, I hope your feeling better."

She came in the kitchen, but was not expecting for what she encountered. Ed and Al were sitting at the table, looking upset about something.

"What is it? Did something happen?"

Ed looked at the table, then his hands and then at Dayna. He had such a sad look on his face, like someone had died. Ed sighed and asked,

"Dayna? When was the last time you had anything to eat?"

"What?" Why are you asking me something like this?"

"We just want to know. To tell the truth, we want to more about you and this is our first question. When was the last time you ate?" asked Al.

Dayna looked at the brothers and figured that she wasn't going to get out of answering this question, so she just gave in.

"Three weeks. A while ago, I had a bite of that sandwich in the fridge and got sick afterwards. I guess it was because it was starting to go bad or because I'm partially allergic to tuna. It was the only thing to eat, I didn't find a time to throw it out."

Ed moved his head to look at her. In the light, he could she her a little more clearly. She was really thin and had faint rings under her eyes. Her nails were dirty and her shoes were worn, but then Al noticed something different.

"What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?"

Al leaned forward, "You have bandages on, and you didn't have any cuts on your body when you left".

Dayna tried to cover up the bandages with her hands, but she wasn't doing a good job, plus her face was red at the same time. For the first time since they meet, Dayna seemed to not want to even look at Ed and Al.

"It's nothing, I just wish that I could make your stay a little bit better"

She turned and started to head for the doorway out of the kitchen, feeling like a fool for hiding things from the friends that she had just made.

"Do you have anything nice to wear Dayna?" she heard Ed say to her.

She turned around to face Ed and said that what she was wearing was the only thing she had to wear.

Ed got up from the chair and walked over to Dayna. With his automail hand, he took hers and smiled at her with his cute, toothy grin.

"I hope you are hungry, we've decided that you need a good time. We're taking you out to lunch".

Dayna's sad face became a glowing smile.

"Thank You Ed and Al"

Dayna showed Ed and Al the sights of the town where she lived, Mirrengard. As she described it, the town was famous for the glass sculptures, which were made by hand. She showed them the historical sites, even thought she couldn't remember most of them and all the restaurants, which had the best food around.

"I should know, I usually wait by the back door for them to get rid of the food that didn't get served that day and the leftovers".

Ed tried to ignore this and grabbed her hand.

"Let's go here, this place looks nice".

"I can't. They won't let me in there; they have this policy rule about people like me. They won't allow me to set foot in there".

Ed looked at Dayna's face; it looked like she was about to cry. Al then leaned forward beside Ed and whispered into Ed's ear.

"Why don't we make her look nice? We could fix her up and pass her off as your date"

Ed's face went beet-red and started to talk gibberish again. Al rolled his eyes and wondered why he put Dayna and date in the same sentence around his brother anyway.

Al then took Dayna's hand and led her to a nearby shop that he spotted. In the windows were some pretty sundresses, Dayna looked at them as Al walked into the store with her.

"Pick whatever one you want, my treat" said Al.

Ed waited outside the store, when he heard Al come out. Ed blushed yet again when he saw Dayna come out of the store. She was wearing an Eggshell white sleeveless dress with a blue stripe at the bottom and at her waist was a silk ribbon that she tied into a knot.

"Whoa, you look great," said Ed.

It was Dayna's time to blush; she could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. She didn't even realize that she blushed every time she looked at Ed or when he touched her, until this point. Ed came around to her left side and took her arm in his.

"Ready to go and eat?"

"Yeah, I'm starving"

"Brother, can I tell her the other surprise?"

"Sure Al"

"What 'other surprise'?"

Ed smiled at Al then turned to her, then Al said "Ed and I have decided to stay at the Mirrengard Hotel and we want you to join us for the rest of the time we're here".

They ate at the restaurant and Dayna was never happier. The smell of the food and freshly baked bread filled her nose with delight and she ate until she was full. As she was eating dessert, Dayna noticed that Ed was staring at her with his arm supporting his head.

"What? Do I have something in my teeth?"

"No"

"Then what are you staring at me for? Do you want a bite of my pie?"

"No, I'm just happy that you're happy"

She blushed again. Then Dayna noticed something different.

"Al? You didn't eat anything, are you ok?"

"Um…yeah, I'm fine. I just wasn't hungry".

She looked at Al, as if he wasn't telling her the truth. Neither of them was, she didn't know a lot about Ed and Al, just the fact that that Al constantly wore a suit of armor and Ed had an arm and a leg of automail. The she thought of asking them about it when she caught a glimpse of something by Ed's lap.

"Ed? What's that by your lap?"

Ed looked down to see what she was asking about and moved his arm down to bring it up.

"What this? It's just my silver military watch"

"You're with the military, but you're so young".

"To put it better, I'm a State Alchemist. In East City and Central I'm known as the Full Metal Alchemist."

"Full Metal? Is that because of your arm and leg?"

"Yeah, everyone who becomes a State Alchemist is given a second name"

Dayna seemed fascinated by this, she wanted to ask more questions when Al said that they should get going if they wanted to get a room at the hotel. They paid for their meal and headed down the street towards the hotel. They looked at several vendors on the street and all the tourists, but when they passed down one alley, Ed felt Dayna shiver.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. Are we there yet?"

They arrived at the hotel and walked up to the front desk.

"Room for three please, put it under the name Edward Elric."

They were just about to take the key for the room when they heard a call from across the room,

"Edward! Figured I would find you here. I heard that you were headed to this city and thought that I'd drop by"

Ed turned to face the voice and started to swear under his voice. Dayna looked at the source of the voice and when she saw where it came from, she leaned over to Al.

"Hey Al, who is this guy?"

"That is the person in charge of the Headquarters in East City, Colonel Roy Mustang. The Flame Alchemist."


	3. A Beautiful Song and a Woman's Wrath

Chapter 3: A Beautiful Song and a Woman's Wrath

Dayna looked up at the handsome, young man standing in front of her. His hair was short and black; he looked like he was in his twenties. He wore what she expected to be a military uniform with medals and other decorations on it.

She could still hear Ed mumbling things under his breath, all with a very unhappy look on his face.

"What's wrong Ed? You don't look happy to see me"

"You could have told me that you were coming here, Sir"

Al stepped forward to say something before Ed would come up with some smart-ass line to give the Colonel,

"Are you here by yourself Sir?"

"Yes Alphonse, I am and who is this charming young lady?" Mustang asked as he took Dayna's hand in his.

"This is Dayna, we meet her when we arrived. She's going to be staying at the hotel with us" said Al.

Mustang looked at Dayna, noticing the dirty patches on her face and the bandages on her arms and legs, which were visible because of the dress.

"Well, I just got my room before you arrived here, but I'll escort you to your room, I want to find out how you guys have been doing"

Ed, still mumbling took the key to their room and went into the elevator to the fourteenth floor, where their rooms were.

"Well, here we are! What do you think Dayna? Nice enough?" asked Ed.

Dayna ran into the room and looked all around at the wonderful furnishings that the room offered. She walked towards one of the beds and flopped onto it, grabbing the covers and putting her face into them.

"They smell so clean and they're so soft, it's been a while since I've felt this".

Roy looked at Dayna with a confused look on his face, at what she said.

Mustang, Ed and Al walked towards a couch and chair that were near a large coffee table and sat down.

"Well, let's get to it" said Mustang.

Dayna wandered into another room and called out to them,

"Ed! I'm going to take a shower, I shouldn't be too long."

"Ok, we'll be here"

Ed and Al talked with Roy about their journeys and anything that they had found out so far about the Philosopher's Stone, all the way until they ended up in Mirrengard and met Dayna.

"So. She has no home or family, huh?" asked Roy.

"Yeah. We just wanted to make her happy, but I can sense something about her. She seems to have suffered from something horrible, I know it, but we're too afraid to ask," replied Al.

Ed got up and walked around the couch,

"I'm getting hungry"

"Well, should we call for room service if…" Roy started to suggest when Ed put his and up and silenced him.

"Brother? What is it?"

"Listen. Do you hear that?"

Al and Roy were quiet and leaned forward to hear.

"…Your heart began to be scorched, and there was a smell of it…It was the end of your dream, and the start of everything…"

"It's singing, coming from the other room." said Al.

Ed slowly walked towards the end of the room, keeping very quiet, listening to the song.

"…The broken pieces of your dream pierce my heart…Leaving the pain, that I should never forget…"

'So pretty'

"…If my life is transient like a flower, I'll be in full bloom by your side…And after watching your smile, I'll fall alone, quietly…"

Ed found himself standing in front of the bathroom door. As he reached for the knob he wondered to himself,

'_What's wrong with me? It's just singing, it felt like I was put into a trance. It was so pretty, but so sad, I have to find out about it'._

Ed turned the knob and opened the door and at that point, regretted it instantly. Standing in front of him was Dayna; wet and half-naked, fixing her towel and trying to brush her wet hair.

Ed's face became as red as his coat as stood in the doorway, Dayna turned around to see Ed and she dropped her hairbrush. Dayna's face turned red and Ed smiled, trying to make the situation better, coughed up what he could say at the moment,

"Um, Hi?"

The whole building seemed to shake as Dayna screamed at the top of her lungs. Al and Roy were wondering what was going on, when they saw Ed come around the corner screaming with Dayna very close behind him, in a towel trying to hit him with her hairbrush.

"**ED! YOU PERVERT! I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS! I'M GOING TO PUT THIS HAIRBRUSH SOMEWHERE WHERE EVEN A DETECTIVE WOULDN'T FIND IT!"**

" DAYNA! I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN IT, HONEST!" cried Ed, trying to avoid Dayna's wrath and a good beating with the hairbrush, until he tripped on his suitcase and Dayna beat him.

"I think I'll go to my room now and get some sleep. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, well maybe just you Al, if Ed doesn't survive the terrifying wrath of a woman." said Roy as he quickly stepped out of the room.

"Goodnight Sir" called Al.


	4. Showing Her True Colors

**Chapter 4: Showing Her True Colors**

Ed was thankful that he ordered two beds in the hotel room when he awoke the next morning. Al had to put him to bed once Dayna was through with him. Al slept next to the bed and noticed that Ed was awake.

"Are you ok Brother?"

Ed rubbed his head and groaned in pain. Dayna really hit him hard and he made a mental note to really think before acting from now on.

"Yeah, I'll be fine"

Ed got up and walked to the bathroom, but not before shuddering and checking that Dayna was still in bed before going in.

"Just making sure" he said to Al as he walked in and closed the door.

Al watched the door close and the turned to see Dayna rising up from the other bed.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Al.

Dayna stretched her arms and yawned, the turned her head towards Al.

"Yeah, I did. It's a lot better than sleeping on that couch at my place" she said with a smile on her face.

There was a knock at the door and Al got up to answer it. It was Roy, wearing just his military pants and sporting a black t-shirt.

"Good morning Al. Good morning Dayna. Where's Ed?"

"He's in the bathroom getting dressed. Brother! The Colonel's here!"

The door opened and Ed stepped out.

"Oh, good morning Sir".

"Good morning Colonel Mustang" said Dayna, walking up to him after slipping on her dress again.

Roy suggested that they go out for the day and just enjoy themselves and everyone seemed to agree. Ed turned to Dayna,

"I'm sorry for yesterday. I really didn't mean it"

"It's ok Ed, I forgive you"

"What was that song you were singing? It was really pretty," asked Al.

"That was a song that my mom used to sing to me when I was little, it's one of the only memories that I have left of her"

They started to walk out of the building with Ed and Al up front and Dayna and Roy bringing up the rear. Roy turned to talk to Dayna,

"What happened to your parents?"

"What?"

"I just want to know, what happened?"

Dayna stopped in the hallway, everyone stopped too.

"I don't want to talk about it"

"Well I do. We don't know anything about you, except for the fact that you have no home and no family" said Roy, stepping towards her.

"I don't want to talk about it! Leave me alone!" she cried out, pushing Roy away.

Roy grabbed her arm and stared hard into her eyes, which were now filling with tears.

"Well, where did you get these bruises? Did someone hurt you? I only want to help Dayna!" yelled Roy.

"You want to help? You can start by leaving me alone!" she screamed, kicking Roy hard in the shin and taking off down the hall.

"Dayna! Come back!" called Ed.

Dayna ran down the street with tears running down her face. She never turned her head back to see if they were behind her and she didn't care.

'Why don't they mind their own business? I just don't want to talk about it'

Dayna looked up to see if there was anyone in her way when a group of five boys moved in front of her. She stopped in her tracks.

'Oh no'

"Well, what do we have here? I thought we told you to not come around to our territory Rat, I guess she didn't learn her lesson from the other day" said the lead boy. The other boys started to laugh, pounding their hands together.

Dayna tried to run, but the boys surrounded her, forcing her into an alleyway behind a butcher shop.

"Why don't you guys leave me alone, huh Jim?"

"Hey cutie, where'd you get the dress?"

"I bet she stole it"

"I bet she looks better with it off!"

"Fuck off assholes!"

"Hey, bitch! Watch your mouth! Now we're going to have to teach you some respect," said Jim, the leader, as he started to walk towards her.

A few boys ran towards her, but Dayna quickly threw them off. One boy came up from behind her and grabbed both her arms and held her. Jim came up and smiled at her, then he started ramming his fists into her stomach and throwing a few punches to her face.

Dayna dropped to the ground and Jim proceeded to kicking her in the stomach, after a minute, he bent down and pulled her up by her hair so that she looked in his face,

"Had enough bitch?"

Dayna whacked his hand away and stood up, just when another boy came up from behind her and hit her in the ribs with a plank of wood, Dayna cried out and fell to the ground again, holding her side.

"She's tough Jim. This is the longest she's ever held up"

"Yeah. Hey baby, wanna have some fun with me? I'll let you go if you do anything I ask"

Dayna stared hard into his face as he positioned himself on her stomach, taking off his belt and started to unzip his pants.

"Burn in hell you pussy mama's boy!"

Jim's face turned into a scowl and brought his hands hard up to Dayna's neck, choking her. She was gasping for air, but never taking her eyes of Jim, blood poured from numerous cuts on her body and a large bruise was forming under the dress where she was hit by the wood plank.

Her vision started to blur when she heard a cry come from behind her,

"Hey! Let go of her you fucking assholes!" Then a foot flew and implanted itself into Jim's face, knocking him five feet into the air.

Dayna was having trouble breathing when the hands let go of her throat. A shadow loomed over her and a voice came from it,

"Dayna? Are you ok? It's me Al"

Another shadow came up beside her and picked her up, Dayna cried out in pain.

"She's in bad shape, I think some ribs may be bruised or broken. Don't worry, you're safe now"

She recognized the voice was Roy's. When her vision cleared she turned her head to see Ed fighting of the gang of boys.

"Hey Jim, Shorty here thinks that he can take all of us on!" one of the boys said, and all of them roared with laughter.

Ed's face turned bright red with rage and he gritted his teeth.

"**WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL THAT WHEN YOU TRY TO STEP ON THEM THEY CAN ESCAPE THROUGH THE GROOVES OF YOUR SHOE!"**

The boys stopped laughing as they saw Ed advance on them.

"You're guys are going to pay for what you did!" Ed said, bringing his hands together and placing them on the ground.

Dayna watched as blue sparks and light surrounded his hands and the ground started to quake, knocking the boys to the ground.

'He doesn't need a circle? He's just like…'

"Hey Rat! Getting too weak that you have to get someone to fight for you? Did you pay for him like your mother did all around town?"

"Yeah, nice one Jim. I guess her crazy father wasn't enough for her!"

The boys started to laugh, when a fist and feet flew at them. Dayna stood there with rage in her eyes.

Suddenly, the door to the butcher shop opened and a strong-looking man came out with a gun.

"Jim! What the hell's going on?"

"It's the Rat Pa, she just punched me in the face. Holy crap, I just pulled a tooth out!"

Dayna looked at Jim, the raging fire still in her eyes.

"You're going to fucking pay for what you said about my mother!" cried Dayna as she clapped her hands together and put them on the ground, causing hands to come out and grab the boys, trapping them.

"What the hell?" whispered Ed.

"Oh my God" said Roy.

"She can use alchemy without a circle too!" cried Al

Jim's father cried out his son's name as the hand trapped him in its grasp.

"You little bitch, this ought to teach you to mess with my son!" he cried as he brought his gun up, pointing it at Dayna.

"DAYNA! LOOK OUT!" Ed shouted as he saw the man pull the trigger.

Dayna quickly clapped her hands and keeping the palms open, moved them behind her and then forcefully bringing them in front her.

The bullet raced towards her and then stopped in mid-air. It stopped in front of Dayna's hands and a flash of light surrounded her.

Amazed, Ed looked closer at Dayna's transmutation.

"She's created some kind of energy shield around her" he called out to Roy and Al.

A short while later the light faded away and the bullet fell to the ground. Jim, his father and the other boys gapped at what they just saw. Dayna stood there and lowered her arms to her side. Ed ran to her as she started to fall, he caught her in his arms and stared at her face; her green eyes were dim and was having trouble breathing.

"Dayna! Wake up! Please wake up!" cried Ed.

When Ed caught her, the hands released the boys and they along with the father ran into the shop, but not before Roy blocked them,

"Hold it. You guys are under arrest, I'm Colonel Roy Mustang and you are going to stay here 'cause the authorities are on their way".

Al ran to his brother as Ed brought Dayna's beaten face up to his and cradling her in his arms.

Al looked closer to see tears running down Ed's face as he whispered Dayna's name over and over again.


	5. A Past Revealed

**Chapter 5: A Past Revealed**

Dayna opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling fan above. She moved her head to look at her surroundings and saw that she was back in the hotel room. She put her hand on her throbbing head and moaned in pain. She could hear voices coming from the other side of the room, so she decided to get up.

She raised herself put of bed and gasped as a horrible pain passed through her body, she wrapped her arms around her chest. Dayna peered inside her shirt to see part of what looked like a large bruise from under the bandages.

Dayna shifted to the end of the bed and slowly got up. Ed's coat was nearby, so she wrapped that around her and walked towards the voices.

She came forward to see Ed, Al and Roy sitting on the chair and couch by the coffee table drinking tea.

"Hi" she said, all heads turned towards her and they all got up.

"Are you ok?" asked Al.

"Yeah, I've been better. I hope you don't mind if I use your coat Ed?"

"No, I don't mind" said Ed. He walked closer to Dayna and put his arms around her. Dayna winched at the slight pain but didn't care. Ed held her tight and started to stroke her hair.

"We brought you back here and called a doctor. He said that you were going to be fine, we thought your ribs were broken but the doctor told us that you were lucky and that they weren't even bruised badly; another hit and they would have" Al informed her.

They all sat back down on the couch and Roy brought her some hot tea. Dayna took a sip and the tea felt so good as it traveled down her throat.

"I'm sorry" said Roy.

"What?"

"I'm sorry for the whole interrogation thing. I should have never stuck my nose into something you didn't want to talk about and make you angry. I'm sorry"

"That's ok"

Dayna stared at her reflection in her tea and tried to think of something to break the silence. Then something came to mind, something she just had to ask.

"Ed? You guys have done human transmutation right?"

Ed spat his tea across the table and coughed, he wiped his mouth and looked at Dayna.

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, I just thought that since we're here, we should get to know each other. Also, when you came to my rescue, I saw you perform alchemy without a circle. Tell me what happened to you and Al. I don't think we should have secrets anymore"

Ed and Al told her about the life they had in Resembool and about their mother. They talked about her death and the training they did with their teacher, then the time when they performed human transmutation to bring her back, costing Ed his left leg and Al his body. Ed told her that he used his right arm to attach Al's soul to the armor, and their purpose in life to find the Philosopher's Stone.

"Wow, I'm sorry guys"

"That's ok. So, who did you try to bring back?"

Dayna turned to Ed and said,

"I didn't. I didn't bring anyone back. I've never performed human transmutation"

Everyone stared at her, not believing what she said.

"I don't understand" replied Ed.

"Well, here's my story"

"My family lived here in Mirrengard. We lived in a big house and were very happy. My mother sang to me and taught me how to take care of things and how to take care of myself. My father was an alchemist, he would make toys for me and help others by using it. We would have so much fun together, my father even started to teach me alchemy when I was four, I never got the hang of it, but my father would just smile at me and tell me not to worry, I'd get better.

When I was five, my mother got sick, I think it was the flu. I would worry about her but she would just say that it would go away in a little while, she was sick until I was six.

She died in the spring and we buried her under a tree that has the prettiest blossoms in the springtime and looked absolutely gorgeous in the autumn. When that happened, my life changed forever.

My father became distant and barely talked to anyone, including me over the next six months. He had an alchemy lab in the house and would spend most of the time locked in there. I wanted to see what he was doing in there, but the door was always locked, but I could see light coming from the crack under the door, so I knew he was doing something with his alchemy.

"One day, I woke up to hear some banging and more loud noises coming from my father's lab. I went downstairs and opened the door to the lab; I was a little surprised that he left it unlocked.

I came in the door and could see a big transmutation circle drawn on the ground and a large container of stuff in the middle of it.

'_Daddy? What's going on?'_

'_My dear, I'm going to bring mommy back'_ he said as he turned to face me with a smile on his face. The smile scared me, it filled me with a strange feeling, but I didn't do anything. He said that he was going to bring mom back and I thought it would work because he was an accomplished alchemist.

He started and everything seemed to be going all right, but then the light changed color and a second wave of fear came over me.

I could hear my father screaming,

'_No! No! What went wrong? I planned everything, all the calculations! Why isn't it working?'_

I started to be overcome by the fear and the way my father was acting, I had no idea what was going on. I heard my father scream again and as I looked I could see thousands of tiny black hands reaching and taking hold of him. I was about to run and hide when I felt my father's hand grab my arm. He started to pull me then, I lifted off the ground as he flung me into the circle shouting,

'_Take her! Leave me!'_

'_Daddy, what are you doing? I don't want to go!'_

'_Better you than me, I said I would give anything for my wife and what a better sacrifice for her soul than you! You are nothing to me, when my wife comes back, we can always have another child! One more worthy than you!'_

As I came closer to the light, I saw this large, black gate. I felt the tiny hands hold me and as I looked into the gate, all of these images where being put into my head.

After, I turned my head and I could see the light starting to fade and I could see my father still screaming. My eyes grew wide with fear as the power of alchemy ripped my father to bits! I screamed and looked down to see the thing that I guess was my mother, being torn to pieces as well. Then everything went black.

"So there I was, covered in my parent's blood and lying in the middle of my father's lab as it went up in flames. I got out of the house and stood there as it burned to the ground.

I've been living on my own since I was seven years old. I discovered that I could do alchemy without a circle when I was ten, I was playing a game with myself and it happened. I was scared and tried to never use it because it was because of my father."

Ed and the others stared at Dayna in silence as she finished her story. Dayna stared at the ground.

"I promised myself that I would become stronger and never let anyone hurt me the way that my father did. Today was the first time that I've cried since it happened. That just proves to my father that he was right and that I am weak!"

She raised her head and saw Ed looking at her with hard eyes and then he slapped her across the face!

"You are an idiot if you think like that! Becoming stronger doesn't mean that you have to lock up your emotions, it's not healthy! Doing that proves that you are weak, it's ok to cry sometimes, it shows that you are human! Humans are generally weak and there's nothing that we can do about it, but we can become stronger and sometimes we have to cry because it's a way of life! If you want to stay the way you are, you can get out and go back to your shed!"

Dayna looked at Ed, staring into the golden light in his eyes. She broke down and cried like she never did, she cried for the long years that she didn't. Ed came and hugged her, stroking her hair again and crying too. He held her to his chest and let her be.

Ed kissed the top of her forehead and whispered to her,

"I promise with all my heart, that I will protect you. I will never let anything happen to you ever."  
Dayna cried again.


	6. A Loving Dance

**Chapter 6: A Loving Dance**

Ed opened his eyes and realized that he had fallen asleep. He looked over at the clock and noticed that it was two in the morning. He tried to get up, but was having trouble. He looked down to see Dayna sleeping with her head on his lap. He smiled, happy that she was safe with him.

Dayna yawned and opened her eyes to se Ed looking down at her.

"Hi Ed" she whispered.

"Hey, feeling better?" he whispered back.

Dayna lifted herself off of Ed's lap and he stretched, getting the feeling back into his legs. He kind of missed her sleeping now.

"What do you want to do?" asked Ed.

"I'm a little hungry, but I think everything's closed for the night"

"OK, any other suggestions?"

Dayna got up and walked across the room to a nearby table where a radio sat. She turned to look at Ed and then turned back to the radio, turning it on. A soft ballad came on, Dayna fiddled with the knob turning it down so not to wake anybody up.

"I think I have an idea" she said, smiling at Ed.

Ed smiled back and walked towards Dayna, then taking a bow.

"Would you like to dance my fair lady?"

Dayna giggled, "Yes. Thank you kind sir".

He took her hands and they started to dance close together.

"I'm sorry for what you have been through. I never would have thought, that that would happen to someone"

"You can see why I didn't what to talk about it"

"It was horrible what those boys said about you're parents"

"They're right on one thing, my father was crazy. I'm glad that fucking bastard is dead. That doesn't bother me, what they said about my mother is what upset me, they only said that to get me mad. She never slept around, she loved my father and me. That song I was singing was one that she used to sing to me when I was little, usually when she put me to bed. My father told me I looked exactly like my mother".

"Well, as the old saying goes: What doesn't kill you can only make you stronger"

Dayna looked at Ed and smiled. Then she blushed and decided to say something else,

"Ed? There's something else that I've been wanting to tell you, but I didn't know on how you'd react"

"What is it?"

"I think I'm in love with you"

Dayna waited for a response from Ed and she hoped that he didn't think it was a stupid thing to say. She put her head closer to his chest, listening to his heartbeat. She found it soothing.

She then felt Ed put his hand underneath her chin and bring her head up so that she looked into his eyes. He didn't look upset or embarrassed, he had a calm look,

"I have something to say too. I think I'm also in love with you"

Ed then moved his face closer to Dayna's and closed his eyes. Dayna felt Ed's lips on hers, she felt a warm, tingling feeling all throughout her body. She then closed her eyes and kissed him back. They stopped dancing and wrapped their arms around each other, Ed lifted her up for a more passionate kiss.

They held each other until the sun came up and they both fell asleep.

'_This is the best night of my life. All is better because Ed is with me and that he loves me' _


	7. Journey To Central

**Chapter 7: Journey To Central**

Roy woke up the next morning. He had stayed overnight because for all that had happened, he wanted to make sure that everything was ok and that everyone was safe. Roy slept in the extra bed so that the other one was free, but when he looked over, he saw that the bed had not been slept in. He saw Al sleeping beside the bed. Roy walked into the next room to open the blinds when he saw something that put a smile on his face.

Lying on the couch, he saw Ed, fast asleep with his arms wrapped around Dayna. Roy tiptoed over and put a nearby blanket over them. He then proceeded to open the blinds. It was a bright, sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. He opened a window and breathed in the fresh air. His peacefulness was disturbed by a noise coming from behind him; he turned around to see Al, trying his best to be quiet as he came into the room.

"Good morning Colonel".

"Good morning Al"

"I think Brother had a goodnight as well," said Al, as he looked at the pair on the couch.

"I think I'll order some breakfast, that should wake those two up" said Roy, reaching for the phone to call room service. Al sat beside the couch and watched his brother and Dayna sleep.

"Well, breakfast should be here soon".

Al saw Ed stir and slowly opened his eyes…to see Al really close, staring back at him!

"AAAHHHH…." Ed started to scream, when Al put his hand over his mouth.

"SSHHHHH!" said Al, pointing down to a still-sleeping Dayna.

Al looked down at her and said that she looked like she was finally at peace, then he looked at his brother…who was starting to turn blue!

"OH my God! Sorry Brother!" cried Al, removing his hand, in order for Ed to take a huge breath in.

Then, a huge hand came around, smacking them hard in the head. They both looked up to see Roy bearing down at them.

"Will you two keep it down!"

"Sorry". They both said, rubbing their heads.

Dayna started to move on the couch, when she turned…and fell off and onto the floor!

"OW! GODDAMN IT!"

Ed and Al stared at the spot where Dayna just fell and they started to laugh. They laughed and laughed when a shadow engulfed them. They stopped and slowly turned to see Dayna standing over them, looking very angry.

"So you think that's funny, huh? I'll show you something funny!"

Dayna took off Al's head and started to beat Ed with it, also kicking Al with her foot!

"AAAHHHH! MAKE IT STOP! WE'RE SORRY!" they cried in pain.

Roy was quietly laughing in the corner.

After breakfast, Roy made an announcement.

"Dayna, I was wondering if you wanted to come to Central with us?"

The rest looked up and Ed asked,

"Sir, You're stationed in East City. Don't you have to go back there?"

"Yes, but here's the catch. The military's Alchemy Exam is coming up and I want you to take it Dayna. Your alchemy skills are amazing and you could use them to help others, also we can help you to train to increase the power".

Ed glared at Roy.

"Sir, I don't think that she would be interested to…"

"I'll do it!"

Ed turned to Dayna, surprised.

"You really want to?" asked Al.

"Yes, that way I can stay with you guys. I want to help you find the Philosopher's Stone. Please!"

Roy got up, and put on the top of his uniform.

"Then it's settled. We'll leave today".

"YAY!" cried Dayna, putting her arms in the air.

Roy moved to the telephone and made a quick phone call.

They arrived at the train station after lunch and Roy gave them their tickets. The rain came into the station five minutes later and they were on their way to Central.

"You are going to have to study really hard for the test" replied Ed.

"Don't worry, I've read all that I could on alchemy. Most were my father's books and when I was living on my own, I went to the library. The librarian is a friend of my mother's so she let me read as long as I wanted"

"Wait, why didn't you stay with her?" asked Al

"She was very old and she passed away a year ago. The library came under new management, the new owner didn't know me so I closed all my options"

Ed told her of what he went through when he took the test,

"First there is a written test, then there comes an interview; sometimes it could be a physical, and then there's the demonstration where you show off your skills and try to impress the higher-ups".

"Is it really that tough?"

"Yeah, they only pick one or two a year" said Al.

"One or two a year!"

"Don't worry, you can do it. You're tough" said Al.

Roy, who was sitting there, sat up and remembered something to say,

"I almost forgot, before when headed here, I made a phone call. Dayna, you're going to be staying at a friend of mine's. Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes. He has a wife and daughter, Elicia, whom he's always bragging about so be careful. His wife Gracia, is a wonderful cook and she has a surprise for you when you get there".

"Thank you Sir".

Dayna stared out the window, finally relieved to be leaving Mirrengard and leaving all of her bad memories behind, she never had to set foot in that run-down house ever again or sometimes steal food just so she can survive. No more beatings or shunning from most of the rich people and places.

She listened to Ed, Al and Roy telling her about the things that the military does if she passes the test, but nothing brought her more joy than the fact that she can stay with Ed.

'_He loves me and I love him. Right now, that's all that matters. I don't care if I pass the test, I'm going to stay with Ed and Al. I will never return to Mirrengard'._


	8. The Welcoming Family

**Chapter 8: The Welcoming Family**

It only took a few hours to get to Central. As they got off the train, Roy walked them over to a car, which was waiting for them. They got into the car with Al sitting beside Roy and Ed and Dayna sitting together, Al started to notice something, Ed was constantly holding hands with Dayna and he never recalled seeing Ed so happy with a girl before.

'_I mean, he's happy when Winry's around, but never this happy'_.

They left the train station and Dayna was watching all the buildings go by out the window, until she saw a large, beautiful house. The car came to a stop, Roy asked Dayna to go with him while Ed and Al were asked to stay in the car.

"Is this the Hughes' house?" she asked.

"Yes, now I guess I don't have to ask you to behave" Roy said with a smile on his face. Dayna smiled back as Roy knocked on the door. The door open and Dayna saw the smiling face of a very pretty lady.

"Good afternoon Gracia"

"Oh, hello Colonel. How are you?"

"Fine. I brought a guest, she's the one I told you about over the phone"

"Oh, yes of course! Come in dear. We'll take good care of her sir".

"Well goodbye. Dayna? I'll pick you up tomorrow for the Alchemy Exam. I just have to run it by the Furher"

"OK, see you tomorrow sir. Tell Ed and Al bye for me" she called as Roy left.

Gracia told her to put her bags on the floor as she gave her a tour of the house. She mentioned that her husband, Maes Hughes was working and that he wouldn't be home until later this evening.

"Do you like stew Dayna?"

"Well, I've never had it, but I heard it was good"

"It is good, we're having that tonight"

She led her down a hallway to a pretty room. The bed looked very comfortable and the rest of the room was very neat.

"This is your room, it's usually the spare room, but when you want to stay here, it's yours"

"Thank you Mrs. Hughes"

"There's a surprise for you on the bed"

Dayna walked over to the bed and opened the package. Inside she found some clothes.

"Thank you Mrs. Hughes, but you didn't have too"

"Colonel Mustang told us about you and we thought that you deserved it. He told me he didn't know your size, but told me that you were a little taller than Ed, so I hope that they fit. I really hope you like the jacket, I made it myself".

She lifted up the jacket; it was way shorter than Ed's, cutting off a little above the waist. It was a nice, dark blue and when she turned it around, she saw what Mrs. Hughes meant. On the back was an insignia, a winged snake on a cross; just like on Ed's coat.

"Whoa, thank you so much!"

"I'll let you try them on. I'll be downstairs checking on dinner and I can introduce you to Elicia"

Dayna went downstairs to see Mrs. Hughes coming out of the kitchen.

"Well, how do they fit?"

"Perfectly. Thank you again"

The outfit was a pair of dark blue jeans, a cream-colored top with spaghetti straps and the jacket. Dayna also brushed her blond hair with the hairbrush that was also in with the clothes; there was also a pair of black hiking boots.

"The blue really brings out your eyes, come on, I'll introduce you to my daughter" said Gracia taking Dayna's hand and leading her into the family room.

"Elicia, I want you to meet someone. This is Dayna, a friend of Edward and Alphonse. She's going to stay with us for tonight"

Dayna saw an adorable little girl, in a little pink dress and pigtails. She had been playing with a small pile of toys in the corner, when they came in. She immediately stopped and paid attention to her mother.

"Hello Elicia. How old are you?"

"I'm four"

"That's a pretty dress you're wearing"

"Thank you, you're really pretty"

"Thank you very much"

"Can you read me a story until dinner's ready?"

"I'd love too"

Dayna took the book that Elicia held in her hand and Elicia crawled onto her lap. Dayna read a few of the stories and enjoyed every minute of it, it was like she had a little sister.

For a few hours Dayna sat there reading to Elicia, the little girl hanging on to every word and not moving from her spot, until there was a noise at the door. Elicia hopped off of Dayna's lap and ran to the door.

"Hooray! Daddy's home!"

Dayna got up and stretched, getting the feeling back into her legs, she then walked to the door where she saw Elicia lead a tall man with glasses and a beard into the house.

"Daddy! Big sister read me a lot of stories. She's really good at it"

The man looked up to look at the strange girl that his daughter was referring to; suddenly Gracia came out from the kitchen to greet her husband.

"Welcome home honey. This is Dayna, she's the one Roy called about. She's going to be staying with us"

"Oh! I'm sorry, been busy at work and completely forgot. Hello, I'm Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes," he said shaking Dayna's hand.

"We can finish the introductions in the kitchen, dinner's ready" called Gracia

The stew was so good that Dayna was having trouble trying to pay attention to the things that Hughes was talking to her about. He was telling her about the first time that he had Ed and Al over for Ed's birthday and Gracia went into labor and Ed had to deliver the baby.

"I bet they had no idea of what they were doing"

"Hm, all they did was run and scream, I think that they thought I was going to die. Fortunately they found their way when they did" said Gracia.

"Yeah, they're great kids," said Hughes.

Dayna told them about when she met Ed and Al and how grateful she was to everyone who she's met for all that they've done.

"So, are you nervous about the Alchemy Exam tomorrow?" asked Hughes.

"A little, but I think I can do it"

"Well, if you've got Ed and Al behind your back, I don't think that you need to worry about it. If they have faith in you, that's all you need".

Dayna smiled, "Thank Mr. Hughes"

After dinner Hughes played with Elicia while Dayna helped Gracia with the dishes. When they finished, they headed towards the family room when Dayna spotted a piano nearby.

"What a beautiful piano. Do you or Mr. Hughes play?"

"No, We're planning of giving Elicia lessons when she's a little older, so we decided to get it".

Dayna sat down at the piano and looked at the keys. The wood glistened in the light. She was admiring the work when she felt a tug on her sleeve; she looked down to see Elicia there.

"Do you play?"

"Um, a little. My mother gave me lessons when I was four"

"Can you play something for me?"

"No Elicia, Dayna needs her sleep. She has a big day tomorrow," replied Gracia.

"I don't mind, I can play one song for you Elicia"

Dayna sat there for a minute trying to relax and concentrate and started to put here hands forward onto the black and white keys.

She played the song that her mother sang to her and before she knew it, she was singing along,

"…If I could flutter like a bird, I would fly to you…and offer my wing to your wounded back…"

She looked down to peek at Elicia, gently swaying back and forth. Dayna smiled and finished her song.

"…I'll be anything, if it can stop you from being seized with fear…"

Applause came from the three and she stood up and took a bow. She laughed and smiled; it was great having a family, if only for a while.


	9. The Alchemy Exam

**Chapter 9: The Alchemy Exam**

Dayna woke up early the next morning and prepared her things that she might need. She also packed her things; for Roy said the he was picking her up early for the exam. She showered, changed and headed downstairs, trying not to wake anybody up. Little did she know that as she turned into the kitchen, she saw Elicia, Gracia and Hughes sitting at the table, waiting for her.

"Good morning Dayna, hope you weren't thinking of leaving without having some breakfast?" said Gracia, holding a big plate of pancakes, dripping with maple syrup.

"I didn't think anyone would be up this early," said Dayna, sitting in a nearby chair.

"We wanted to see you before you left for the exam, to wish you the best of luck"

"Thank you very much" she said, as she dove into the mountain of pancakes.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Hughes got to get the door and saw Roy standing there.

"Dayna, are you ready to go? We don't want to be late"

Dayna got up, finished her milk and ran to get her things. She met Roy back at the door, ready to go.

"I'll see you later. Thanks for everything" she called, waving back at the Hughes' family.

They got in the car when Dayna noticed something,

"Where are Ed and Al?"

"Ed said that he had to do something, Al went with him, but they said good luck and that they would see you as soon as they could" explained Roy.

"Nervous?"

"A little, but I'm ready, I can do this!"

Roy smiled, "I believe in you, you can do this".

They reached Central Military Headquarters and Dayna was amazed by the size of it. Roy told her to follow him and he lead her inside the massive building.

"I told the Furher that you were coming and taking the test. I'll be one of the higher-ups that you are going to be judged by. Don't worry about impressing me, I already know what you're capable of doing"

Roy led her to a set of large doors. Inside was a large room of tables and down below she could see what she figured were the bigwigs of the military.

"You can sit anywhere you like. I have to take a different door to prepare for the judging," he said, exiting out the door. Dayna walked down the stairs and decided to sit at a table in the middle of the room. A uniformed official came and handed her a bunch of paper and advised her not to look at it until she was told. She shook as she looked at the paper; she had such an urge to peek, but she looked down to see Roy at the base of the room.

He looked up and smiled at her and it made Dayna fell a lot better.

A man with a moustache and an eye patch stood up from the large table he was sitting at, the room became silent as he rose to speak.

"Welcome to all our candidates for this years exam. I wish you the best of luck and hope that one of you will become our new State Alchemist. You may now begin!"

Dayna took a deep breath as he flipped her paper over.

'_Well, here goes'_

Dayna shook as she stood outside the room where the next test was taking place: the interview. She felt that she had done all right on the written test, but she was still incredibly nervous. The last person who went into the room had just come out; he looked more nervous and upset than Dayna did. Her heartbeat increased when she heard "Next!" calling from the room, she took another deep breath and went into the room.

The room looked like the way Ed had described it when he took the test. It was dark when a light came on and she saw a golden chair with three legs. Ahead of the chair, she could see Roy, the Furher and all the other higher officers sitting at a table.

Dayna stepped forward and sat carefully down in the chair. The Furher looked at her and then at a piece of paper,

"Now, Miss Simerion, why do want to be an alchemist of the state?"

Dayna pondered about the question, she then looked up at the Furher and gave her response.

"I want to help others. People I've met and others that I haven't. In any way, I want to use my alchemy to give others hope when the think they've lost it"

"Are you aware of the duties that are required for a state alchemist? Are you prepared to handle that?"

"Yes sir, I am"

The questions carried on for half an hour and Dayna was finally allowed to leave, when she exited the room, she saw a familiar face.

"Hello Mr. Hughes"

"Hey, how's the exam going?"

"Well. I hope, what are you doing here?"

"About to go and eat lunch. My wife made one for you, care to join me?"

"Sure. All these tests are making me hungry"

After lunch, the group of alchemist were brought outside. The Furher stood up front and explained that the final test would be a demonstration of alchemic skill and the objective was on trying to impress them. Dayna looked past and saw the pile of provided supplies that had been brought for them: Tree logs, steel beams, water, rocks, etc.

A few alchemists went before her and all of they're alchemy skills were pretty impressive.

'_What am I going to do? Roy said that my shield technique was really impressive, but how can I use it?'_

Dayna had developed a plan when her turn finally came. She stepped forward and asked if she could have help moving two of the steel beams and a log. She stepped towards them and clapped her hands together, she placed them on her items and a machine gun was now in it's place.

'_Ok, the bigwigs seem impressed so far. Now for the second act'_

"Excuse me Furher, may I ask a favour?"

The Furher got up and asked,

"What is it dear?"

"Could you operate this gun for me?"

The Fuhrer walked over and took hold of the gun. Dayna moved back and away from the other alchemists.

"Ok. Prefect. Now when I give the word, I would like you to fire the gun towards me"

One of the officials quickly stood up,

"Miss, are you sure you want to do this? You could be seriously hurt…or worse!"

"Don't worry sir, I've had experience with this before," Dayna said as she faced the Furher and clapped her hands together.

"Ready…GO!"

Dayna quickly moved her hands as the Furher fired the machine gun at her. To everyone's, shock, all the bullets stopped in front of her hands and a pale bluish-green light surrounded her.

When the gun was empty, Dayna lowered her hands and all of the bullets landed on the ground. She bowed her head to the Furher,

"Thank you for your assistance, sir"

The Furher clapped his hands together in applause,

"Wonderful! Outstanding performance young lady. Everyone, I think we've found our new alchemist!"

"Really! You mean it?"

"Yes, Congratulations!"

"I did it! Thank you!" she cried and ran over to give Roy a big hug.

"I can't wait to tell Ed!"


	10. The Power Shield Alchemist

**Chapter 10: The Power Shield Alchemist**

"I hope Dayna isn't mad at us for not being there for her exam Brother" said Al as they walked down the hall. They had been told that Dayna would be in the Furher's office for her results, which they had not been told. When they arrived, Ed reached for the handle to open the door.

"Hey! It's locked!"

"Why is it locked Brother? I want to see Dayna"

"I don't know…hey, I can hear someone," said Ed as he and Al pressed their heads against the door.

"Well, now we have the second youngest alchemist joining our fine military. That was really a fine performance, I really have to give a lot of credit to Fullmetal and Flame for finding you" replied the Furher.

"I owe everything to them sir" said Dayna, nodding her head towards Roy.

"Oh! Before I forget, here you are my dear," he said holding out a silver watch out to Dayna. She reached out and took it, she marveled at the beautiful watch when they all heard a bang at the door.

"OW! Watch it Al! You hit the door, not to mention my head!"

"I'm sorry Brother. It's just really hard to hear of what's going on"

Roy walked over to the door and opened it. Ed and Al landed on the floor with a loud bang.

"Sorry Ed, didn't know you were there" said Roy, sarcasm dripping from his words. Ed flashed him with a dirty look.

"Glad you could join us Fullmetal!" called the Furher.

"Hey guys, 'bout time you showed up!" said Dayna.

"Sorry, but I had to do something really important. So how'd you do?"

"Does this answer your question!" she cried out, holding up the silver watch for them to see.

"Wow, Dayna that's great. I knew you could do it!" said Al, giving Dayna a hug.

"Al… Al...I…can't…breathe!"

"Sorry"

"Dayna, don't forget this before you leave. I'm sure you've heard that all State Alchemists receive a second name, I'm sure you'll like yours. I thought it suited you perfectly"

Dayna took the envelope from the Furher and opened it to read.

" 'I, Furher King Bradley, do hereby give the name 'Power Shield' to thee Dayna Simerion…'"

"That is a good name, I like it" said Al.

"Thank you sir" said Dayna as she bowed and Roy led them out of the room.


	11. A New Journey

**Chapter 11: A New Journey**

A party was prepared at the Hughes' when they arrived. Mrs Hughes and Elicia gave Dayna a big hug and congratulated her on her success. Mr. Hughes' invited a few of their friends to the party and everyone was having a good time.

Dayna walked into the kitchen to see Ed standing there all alone.

"I thought you were enjoying the party"

"I was, but then I thought 'What's the point if you're mad at me?'"

"Well, you didn't show up to wish me luck for the exam"

"I was nervous for you, I didn't want you to be worrying about me and adding all that stress. I knew you could do it, I never lost faith in you for a minute"

"Ok, that I can understand, but what did you have to do that was so important?"

Ed blushed and held out a tiny box, wrapped in blue wrapping paper and a silk white bow.

"I hope you like it, I really wanted to get you a present"

Dayna took off the wrapping paper an opened the box. Inside there was a choker. It was a silver locket that was attached to two black pieces of cloth and silver clasps, she could tell that Ed had it custom-made for her because on the front of the locket was the insignia that she and Ed both had on their jackets.

"Ed, it's beautiful. Thanks so much!"

"Here, let me put it on for you" he said moving her hair and putting the locket around her neck.

"There, it looks perfect on you"

"Why did you get this for me?"

"For two reasons actually, first because of you passing the exam and secondly and more importantly, because I love you and this was to prove it forever"

Dayna moved her fingers along the locket and the she grabbed Ed and pulled him towards her, giving him a kiss. They could hear the music playing behind them from the other room, Ed put his arms around her and she did the same.

"Ha! I knew it Brother! I knew you and Dayna were together! That's why you were always blushing whenever you were around her, thinking about her or even hearing her name! I knew it!" cried Al, as he came into the kitchen and seeing Ed and Dayna kissing. Hearing him scream, everyone was now in the kitchen, which really upset Ed.

"AL! DO YOU MIND?"

"All right, nice going Fullmetal! When's the wedding?"

"SHUT UP ROY! YOU JERK!

Dayna was holding her sides to keep from laughing, her face bright red.

"Why are you laughing?"

"You're so cute when you get mad, Ed"

"GAHHHH! YOU'RE ALL DRIVING ME NUTS!" screamed Ed.

The next morning, everyone was saying goodbye to the Hughes' at the train station. They were going to East City, Roy had to go back to get back to work.

"We'll introduce you to everyone there, they're really nice" said Al.

"Yeah and all nuts" said Ed.

"Come back anytime Dayna, you're always welcome"

"Thank you Mrs. Hughes"

"Don't forget to play with me when you come back, big sister" called Elicia.

"Don't worry, I will"

They got onto the train and waved back at them from the windows. They sat down in their seats when the train started to move.

"Is East City nice?"

"Yeah, but we don't see it a lot, what with all the searching for the Philosopher's Stone that we do"

"Well, I'm going to help you guys with all your searching. Don't worry, I'm not letting you out of my sight"

A little while later, Dayna saw that Ed had fallen asleep. She looked out he window, they had a while before they reached East City, so she put her head on Ed's shoulder and closed her eyes to sleep.

'_Ed, I promise to help you, no matter what. I will do with all my power to make sure that you and Al get you're original bodies back. It's going to take awhile for me to pay you back for all that you've given me: a home, a family, friends and love. I will do anything for you, for I am The Power Shield Alchemist.'_

**The End**


End file.
